


if you reach high enough, it will feel like flying

by skripka



Category: Heroes (TV)
Genre: Chinese Food, Cussing, Gen, politicking, poor use of chopsticks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 17:43:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19024807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skripka/pseuds/skripka
Summary: Maybe you're going enough places for the both of us.





	if you reach high enough, it will feel like flying

Nathan hated this.

Not the actual politicking bits, of course. He was a whiz at pressing flesh, kissing babies, and smiling for the cameras. He even had a decent grasp on the issues, which gave him a leg up on some of the competition. Never let it be said that Petrellis were all show and no substance.

No, what was getting Nathan Petrelli's goat was watching his brother through the windows of his office. The _boy_ had just shown up, like a stray waif and floated through life... feckless. That was the word, feckless. Sure, he said he had aspirations, but Nathan wasn't convinced they were serious.

Peter was leaning a hip against a volunteer's desk, smiling and laughing at something she said. Nathan grimaced. 

"And Mr. Petrelli, be sure to mention the Grant case. It was the DA's office biggest victory in the past few months--the public will be eating out of your hands." Simpson was a fuckwit. An organized fuckwit, to be sure, which was why Nathan had him on his staff, but there was only so much fuckwittedness Nathan could deal with in a day. He pasted on his best photo-ready smile.

"I'll be sure to do that, and at every speech for the next couple of weeks." Nathan spread the smile to the rest of the staff. "Is that all? I've got a couple of meetings and some family business to take care of before tonight's fundraiser."

Scattered "Nos" and "Of courses" came from the room, and his (highly-paid, highly-recommended, overly-supercilious) campaign staff filtered out of the room. Nathan took a moment to roll his neck and listen to it crack. He really wanted a drink right now. 

But first, he had to deal with Peter.

"Pete!" Nathan opened his arms wide and greeted his feckless brother far-too-cheerily than warranted. It got the desired effect, though. Peter's eyes widened, and he almost stumbled off the volunteer's desk as his bag snagged on the corner.

"Hey," was the somewhat strangled reply. Peter let Nathan grasp his shoulders and gently shake him. Nathan had years of practice keeping his little brother off balance, and he was well-aware that blatant physicality was usually too much for Peter to handle in public.

"Are you here to take me to a late lunch?" A light flashed, and Nathan adjusted his stance so he had his arms wrapped around Peter's shoulders. Photo ops were a constant in his life, which is why he tried to never let his smile falter; except, of course, when he was trying to project an image of seriousness.

Peter smiled his vague (still feckless) smile and replied, "Sure?"

Nathan squeezed tightly before letting go. "Great! Let me get my jacket." He turned, then briefly looked back. "You feel like Chinese? There's a great place just down the street."

Nathan grinned inwardly at Peter's overwhelmed nod. Damn, but it was fun watching him get flustered.

* * *

"I'm just saying," Nathan waved a chopstick, projecting the image (just in case) of a concerned older brother, "that you need to have direction. A purpose."

"I have a purpose." Peter was now doing his sullen thing as he stirred his Lo Mein around. "Hospice care is very important."

"It also doesn't get you anywhere." Nathan speared a random piece of meat and examined it before he put it in his mouth. 

Peter frowned. "Maybe you're going enough places for the both of us." He sat back and crossed his arms. Nathan raised his eyebrow.

"Is that it? You're jealous because I'm getting the attention?" Nathan almost snorted, but the meat (pork? chicken?) stuck halfway down and had to grab his water to wash it down. He coughed inelegantly and continued. "I keep telling you, you just need to get out there. Make a splash."

"You really don't get it, do you?" Peter apparently decided he was still hungry, so he began twirling a noodle on his chopstick. "It's not about prestige, or popularity. It's about..." Peter sighed, and put the chopstick back down. Nathan frowned. Peter really needed to eat more. "You ever feel that there's more to life?"

Nathan shrugged. "I used to. But I got over it." At Peter's snort, Nathan continued. "Don't you get tired of being a dreamer? Or a mama's boy?"

That had been designed to sting; Nathan got the desired reaction. Peter stiffened and glared at Nathan. Which, to Nathan's way of thinking, was a definite improvement from the sulking. Showed a bit of the Petrelli spark.

"That's not fair, Nathan."

"Life isn't fair, Peter. Are we going to have this discussion again?" Nathan smiled sarcastically. "Because if we are, I need to schedule it. I have work to do."

Peter sneered back. "What, being a bastard?"

"Politician, bastard. It's all the same." Nathan grinned for real, now. "See, don't you feel better now that you're a little angry with me?"

"I don't think 'little' is the word I'd use." Peter shoved his plate away, grabbed his bag and stood. "I'll see you around." He stalked off, and Nathan sighed. Well, at least he had gotten a reaction. 

The waiter came by and put the folder down, reaching for Peter's abandoned plate. Nathan nodded, and it was removed. He cracked open one of the cookies, and read the fortune. He grimaced, crumbled the paper up, and dropped it into his water glass.

He left a few twenties on the table. Might as well give the waiter a nice tip--make somebody's day worthwhile. Nathan's fingers paused next to the check and the remaining cookie as he stood and shrugged his jacket on. Almost as an afterthought, he picked the cookie up and dropped it in his pocket, where the plastic crinkled.

He could always give it to Peter later.

**Author's Note:**

> semi-flash fic from LJ back in 2007. perused by TenthMuse and KellyGirl.
> 
> (in case it isn't clear, Nathan's fortune became the title of the fic.)


End file.
